


We’ll forget that this ever happened

by TrashDumpFack



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Inspired by Music, Not Beta Read, Possible Triggering Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:22:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28771557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashDumpFack/pseuds/TrashDumpFack
Summary: Desperate and alone, Akiko Akechi decides to take matters into her own hands.
Kudos: 9





	We’ll forget that this ever happened

**Author's Note:**

> Choosing to not use that much tags to not give away any spoilers, but some content might triggering to some readers but idk I’m kinda a fuckwit anyway

Akiko ignored the squirming figure within her arms, wrapped haphazardly in a baby blue fleece blanket while it whipped its head to-and-fro. Instead, she elected to focus on the whir of the train wheels as they sped through the dark, concrete tunnel. The bright LED lights blurred and distorted the faces of any passersby, allowing Akiko to not fully register the emotions those people were wearing; she could only think that it must be of disgust.

A slight whimper came from her lap, then more squirming as short, pudgy arms had managed to work their way out of the blue blanket. She froze - what was she meant to do? In stories that she read and anecdotes that she listened to her aunts’ blabber on and on about, mothers knew exactly what their child needed when they voiced their emotions. Crying? Well, surely it must be hungry. Screaming? It just needed its diapers changed. But for Akiko, the slightest sound sent her into confusion, her mind turning into a scramble of thoughts as she tried to discern what the baby needed.

‘Maternal instinct’, they told her as she sat at a dinner table draped with a red tablecloth and adorned with various homemade foods. ‘It’ll come to you naturally. You’ll know when you’re older.’

There must be something wrong with her - that instinct said to magically come to you when you first lay eyes in your child has yet to awaken within her.

She could only hope the baby doesn’t decide to suddenly cry out in her arms, ruining the small semblance of anonymity that protected them. It would be too much for her, to see those glaring faces pointed directly at her as she is helpless to do anything about her situation. Helpless and alone, with a parasite leeching off her. But that’s why she’s here - so she can rid herself of the pest that had so rudely intruded into her life and turned it upside down.

Overhead, a sweet, feminine voice spoke announcing the arrival of their newest stop. The train slowed to a halt, and absentmindedly Akiko began making her way off the train, joining the crowd of people exiting the vehicle. Elation began to overflow within her and she had to restrain the urge to add a skip to her step lest she bring too much attention to herself. Instead, she shifted the figure to just one arm, their head resting against her bosom and tugged her burgundy hoodie up with one hand, covering her long, brunette hair. Hopefully, the overcast and grey sky would be enough justification for this act to any onlookers. She began to count the number of steps she took until her destination. Twenty steps and she was outside the train station, thirty-five and she was now standing at the stoplights, just about to cross.

She had gotten her idea a few days before she gave birth. Apparently, it was becoming common practice for unwanted children to be left in coin-operated lockers, only to be found shortly after. Honestly, this was the best case for both her and the child. She would finally get rid of the parasite that had sucked her dry, had ruined her reputation and caused everyone to abandon her, while the child would get a new home with some new family, its reputation as a bastard child no longer hanging over its head. Her family would welcome her back with open arms while she swore to never make this mistake again. They wouldn’t ask questions as to how she got rid of the baby - all that mattered was that it was gone.

Seventy-five steps. She had now passed by a family-owned convenience store, the stickers displaying various prices had faded in colour due to the sunlight. Ninety steps and passed a large clothing store, groups of girls going in and out of said store. It made Akiko nostalgic of the times she and her friends had spent in her hometown.

Now at a hundred and twenty steps, Akiko stood at another stoplight. Just across the street was her planned destination. It was a quaint little thing, a very ‘hole in the wall’ type of place. A small booth at the front with a tired, clearly young attendant reading a magazine, oblivious to the world. Next to the booth was a large opening for people to walk in, where they’d find a single room lined with metal lockers - doors on the top and the bottom. In the middle was a birch bench, should anyone choose to take a rest or temporarily place their items down. It was obvious that this place wasn’t built for tourism and only for passersby who need an area to drop off their baggage.

It was at this time that Akiko realised that she was still holding the baby. If the attendant noticed her leaving without the child, they’ll realise what she’s done and call the police on her! Panicking, Akiko slid into a nearby alleyway and took a few gulping breaths. 

Think, Akiko, think. You gotta hide this thing.. but where?

Finally, Akiko seemed to register the small weight on her back. It was a cheap backpack, all black with the brand’s name stitched onto its front pocket. The thought of parting with it caused a pang of guilt to resonate in her, it was a gift for her best friend when they went on a shopping spree for snacks and needed more space to carry their goods. It held sentimental value to Akiko, with memories of times long gone attached to this bag. Her determination for a better life outweighed her nostalgia, however, and she shook the bag off her shoulders and placed it on the ground, opening it up. She took out the small amounts of content that she had left inside - her wallet, her keys and a half-empty water bottle which she promptly disposed of in a nearby dumpster.

A soft whimper came as she shifted the baby in her arms as she tucked in any loose bits of cloth, trying to take up the least amount of space as possible. Hesitantly, she gave the baby a few shakes. This is what mums did, right? She saw it all the time on movie and t.v shows, so there must be a little bit of truth to it, at least she hoped so. It gave a few giggles while a small amount of drool rolled down its mouth. Disgusting. It was disgusting, a hideous lookalike stealing her face and hair. She could see the parts that the child inherited from Shido; the shape of his nose, the shape of his eyes and the deep, wine-red colour to them.

Slowly she placed the baby into the bag and stomped down on the urge to cup its face. She refused to make any connections with it, only provide it with the bare necessities.

Zipping up the bag (leaving only a small gap for the thing to breathe), Akiko made her way over to the lockers, ignoring the attendant as she passed by. She scanned the rows of lockers, looking for any that were clearly unoccupied. Systematically, she scanned up and down, mentally checking off which were being used. Finally, she spotted a locker on the top row that was free, and she made her way over, a gold coin in her gloved hand.

Seems like a large group came in today, lots of lockers being used.

Her first try at putting the coin in the lock failed spectacularly, completely missing it. Her second attempt was closer, however, only narrowly missing the hole. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself.

Don’t back out now, not after everything it took to be here. Don’t be a coward - this is for the greater good. After all the pain that leech made me endure, after all this… I'll finally be worthy of the ‘Akechi’ name.

Those bitter thoughts rang in her head as she slammed the coin into the lock, twisting and finally opening the door. She carefully placed the backpack inside, zipping it open to see the peaceful, sleeping form of the baby greet her. It took careful manoeuvring due to the cramped space, but she was able to lift the baby out of the bag, placing it next to said object. Finally, she took the backpack out and put it on once again. If there were any security cameras in the area that she didn’t notice, all they would see is her packing away some unknown item.

Once again she found herself hesitant as she gripped the locker’s door. Should she close this door, she’d seal the fate of this child. They’d be locked in here without food or water and in the total dark.

They check the lockers every three days. I’m on my second day, so they’ll find him tomorrow. Now, I’ll finally be able to move on with my life.

She slowly closed the door and walked away, hands in her hoodie pockets. Once again, the attendant ignored her as she made her way out. It seemed as if it was going to storm today, a dark, heavy gloom having settled over the area. For Akiko, it felt different. There was a somewhat jittery feeling in her hands and she was left with the looming question of ‘what now?’

She had planned this moment for a while now, but now having actually done it, Akiko felt a bit lost. She had always planned for the event but not what would've happened afterwards, other than crawling back to her parents. Still, as a roar of thunder was heard in the distance, Akiko felt as if things were finally looking up for once in her life.

***

“Body of infant found in coin locker after Shinjuku flash flooding.

“Tokyo police were called to the scene after a fee collector discovered the body of a deceased infant boy had been found abandoned in a coin locker on Thursday morning. An autopsy report shows that the body had been four days old at the time of discovery and the cause of death was starvation. 

“This comes after the devastating flash flooding that occurred a week prior that caused massive damage to the surrounding area and closed local businesses.

“Police are urging witnesses with any information to contact Tokyo authorities. Now, onto the weather…”

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this song by Maretu: https://youtu.be/dldmiA5BPzA
> 
> I’ll be honest, I would like to expand on this fic, I already got a somewhat decent idea of what would go on however I already have a long, multi-chapter fic that I’ve been working on with another that I’ve also been thinking about. So for now, this will stay a one-shot.
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoyed


End file.
